The TB Prevention and Management course is a short course for healthcare workers in WC Primary Health Care facilities.

By covering basic theory and clinical updates, it aims to support the provision of quality care to adults and children with tuberculosis and to prevent TB transmission. It provides an approach to assessment, treatment and management of drug sensitive and drug resistant TB.


About the course

  • Course Design: Self-directed.

  • Duration: It will take you 6-8 hours to complete.

  • Eligibility for this course: Nurses and doctors working within the WCDHW.

  • Accreditation: HPCSA accredited for 7 clinical CPD points (Level 1), and WCDHW Nursing CPD accredited for 3 CPD points in Area of Practice.

  • Certification: Participants need 75% pass mark for final quiz.

  • Published: February 2026

Course curriculum

The following topics are covered in this course:

1. Introduction to Tuberculosis

  • Basics of Tuberculosis
  • Epidemiology
  • Pathophysiology and transmission
  • High risk groups

 

2. TB infection prevention and control (IPC)

  • Infection control
  • Targeted Universal TB Testing (TUTT)
  • TB Preventive Treatment (TPT)

 

3. Diagnosis of TB

  • Clinical modalities
    • History and examination
    • Urine LAM
    • Chest x-rays
    • Sputum collection
  • Lab-based modalities
    • TB NAAT 
    • Sputum smear microscopy
    • TB culture
    • Drug susceptibility testing (DST)
  • Case definitions, classification, notification and registration

 

4. Drugs-sensitive TB treatment

  • Drug sensitive TB treatment pharmacology
  • Drug side effects
  • Interactions
  • Treatment adjuncts 
  • TB drug induced liver injury (DILI)
  • Special considerations (diabetes, pregnancy, breastfeeding, contraceptives, renal impairment, epilepsy)

 

5. Monitoring and follow-up

  • DS-TB routine care and follow up
  • Management of week 7 and week 11 smear positive clients
  • Treatment interruption 
  • Supporting adherence

 

6. TB and HIV co-infection

  • Communicating with a client returning to care after disengaging
  • Relationship between TB and HIV
  • Challenges in TB/HIV coinfection
  • WHO stage for clients with TB
  • Support the client taking long-term medication
  • Reasons to delay initiation of ART
  • Immune Reconstitution Inflammatory Syndrome (IRIS)
  • ART medication interactions with TB treatment

 

7. TB in children

  • Basics of TB in children 
  • Pathophysiology
  • Differences between childhood and adult TB 
  • Diagnosis of TB
  • Drug sensitive TB (DS-TB) treatment 
  • Perinatal TB
  • TPT for children
  • Monitoring and evaluation

 

8. Drug- resistant TB

  • Definitions
  • When to suspect DR-TB
  • Diagnosis and treatment 
  • DR-TB drug pharmacology
  • INH mono-resistant TB
  • Rifampicin resistant TB
  • Clinical monitoring and follow-up
  • DR-TB in special populations
    • DR-TB in children
    • DR-TB/HIV co-infection
    • TPT for DR-TB contacts
  • Considerations for specialist discussion
  • Routine care and support

 

9. Monitoring and evaluation (M&E)

  • Health information
  • Defining monitoring and evaluation
  • Data flow processes
  • Data collection tools, registers and documentation
  • Category and outcome definitions


Western Cape Government Department of Health and Wellness
People Development Centre

Acknowledgements:

  • Knowledge Translation Unit